Plastics horseshoe

ABSTRACT

A stock from which circumferential lengths can be cut to be used as horseshoes, the stock comprising a helical coil of plastics materials wound about an axis such that the cross section of the coil in a plane containing the axis is constant in shape for any such plane and substantially corresponds to the cross section of a horseshoe in the same plane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a plastics horseshoe. A plasticshorseshoe offers advantages over a conventional metal horseshoe in thatit is lighter in weight, and can be more easily fitted to a horse's hoofas the plastics material is readily formed into the correct shape.Plastics horseshoes can be glued to a hoof, so that they do not requirea farrier to fit them, and can avoid damage to hooves caused by nails.

However, unlike a metal horseshoe, a plastics horseshoe cannot readilybe manipulated to fit a wide variety of hoof sizes. It is thereforenecessary to produce a plastics horseshoe in a range of sizes, or toprovide some means by which the size may be readily adapted. One suchplastics horseshoe currently on the market requires the horses hoof tobe placed on a pad and traced so that the pad can then be cut to theappropriate size. Individual tabs are then welded at intervals aroundthe base. Each tab is then glued to the horse's hoof in order to retainthe horseshoe in place. It is time consuming to fit such a shoe,wasteful of material, and requires a number of parts to be supplied foreach shoe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide a way in which a plasticshorseshoe can be fitted to a whole range of hoof sizes which is simplein construction and which is easy to fit.

According to the present invention a stock from which circumferentiallengths can be cut to be used as horseshoes comprises a helical coil ofplastics material wound about an axis such that the cross section of thecoil in a plane containing the axis is constant in shape for any suchplane and substantially corresponds to the cross section of a horseshoein the same plane.

Such a stock is supplied to an end user who can then cut off a portionof the helix, the circumferential length of which depends upon the sizeof the hoof of the horse to be shod. The horseshoe can then be fitted tothe exact shape of the hoof by manipulating the plastics material in anumber of simple ways which may be used individually or in combination.If the plastics material is resilient, and the internal radius of theportion cut from the helix is less than the external radius of the hoof,the two ends of the horseshoe can be pulled apart against the resilienceof the material so that the horseshoe can be fitted onto a hoof. Oncethe horseshoe is placed over the hoof, the horseshoe can be released andthe resilience of the material will ensure that the shoe grips the hoof.Secondly, the horseshoe may be of a material which is readilyplastically deformable, so that it can be plastically deformed to fitthe shape of the hoof. The plastics material may be such that thehorseshoe requires heating, for example in hot water or using ablow-torch, before it can be adequately plastically deformed.

The shoe may be attached to the horse's hoof using an adhesive. In thisway, damage done to the hoof by nailing the shoe in place can beavoided. However, if it is necessary to nail the shoe in place, thenthis can be done. A cement can be introduced into the shoe before it isplaced on the hoof, so that the pressure of the hoof within the shoewill push the cement into any gaps between the shoe and the hoof therebyensuring a tight fit.

It is believed that only three different diameters of stock would needto be produced in order to shoe the entire range of horse sizes fromShetland ponies to shire horses. This represents a considerable savingin mould costs over other plastics shoes.

When the horseshoe is cut from the helical stock, the part of thehorseshoe to be attached to the sole of the hoof will be skewed from aplanar state, and will have to be twisted into a planar state so that itcan be attached to the underside of the hoof. Again, the plasticsmaterial can be elastically deformable and the stock formed so as to bepre-tensioned so that the horseshoe automatically reverts to a planarstate when it is out from the stock, or it can be plastically deformableso that it can be bent into this planar state. Alternatively, the memoryof the plastics material may be such that, upon heating, the sole twistsinto the planar state.

In the simplest form, the stock is configured such that the horseshoescut from it are simply a base having a flat cross section which can befastened to the underside of the hoof. However, more sophisticatedshapes can be formed, so that, for example, an outer wall extendsupwardly and radially inwardly from the radially outermost edge of thebase portion. Such an outer wall will, in use, cover the lower part ofthe hoof and will facilitate the fixing of the shoe if it is to beadhered to the hoof. If this wall is continuous, it allows a farriergreater freedom for the placement of nails than a shoe having discretetabs, so that weak areas of the hoof can be avoided. Also, parts of thecontinuous wall can be removed to prevent weight bearing on and to allowair to get to damaged or infected parts of a hoof without undulyweakening the shoe.

The outer wall may be such that its cross section increases away fromthe base. The thinner lowermost portion of this wall means that the wallcan be more readily manipulated into the correct position, while thethicker upper portion of the wall is such that it is more difficult topeel away from the hoof once the shoe is glued in place.

An inner wall may extend radially upwardly and inwardly from theradially innermost edge of the base to protect the softer innermost partof the hoof.

The invention also extends to a method of manufacturing a stock fromwhich circumferential lengths can be cut to be used as horseshoes, themethod comprising extruding a plastics material into a helical coilwound about an axis such that the cross section of the coil in a planecontaining the axis is constant in shape for any such plane andsubstantially corresponds to the cross section of a horseshoe in thesame plane.

Extruding the stock provides a simple method of producing the helicalstructure as it allows complex cross sections to be manufactured. Inorder to produce the curved structure of the helix from an extrudingdie, it is preferable to ensure that the flow path length within the dieof the portion which is to form the radially outermost part of the helixis shorter than the flow path within the die for the portion of the diewhich is to form the radially innermost part of the helix. This ensuresthat the flow at the radially outermost part is faster than the flow ofthe radially innermost part thereby creating the curved structure.

The plastics material is preferably a polymer or copolymer such as PVCor polyurethane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

An example of a stock and method constructed in accordance with thepresent invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the stock;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a horseshoe cut from the stock; and

FIG. 3 is an underneath plan of the horseshoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1 the stock is extruded with the appropriate crosssection into a helical coil, and is supplied in this form to the enduser.

The end user cuts off an appropriate circumferential length dependingupon the size of the hoof of the horse to be shod. The cut off portionis manipulated from the slightly twisted form in which it is part of thecoil to the untwisted form having a flat base as shown in FIG. 2. Inthis form the horse shoe can be applied to the horse's hoof. Theplastics material may be further manipulated in order to fit the shoecorrectly on the hoof. Gaps between the hoof and the shoe can be filledwith cement.

The external diameter of the helical coil is less than the externaldiameter of the average shoe for the type or breed of horse. When theshoe is fitted to an average size hoof, the ends of the shoe have to bepulled apart to enlarge the shoe so that it can be fitted onto the hoof.The resilience of the plastics material then ensures that the shoetightly grips the hoof. On the other hand, if a smaller than averagehoof is to be shod, the circumferential length of material cut from thestock is shorter and requires plastic deformation in order to fit snuglyaround the hoof. For a larger than average hoof a longer circumferentiallength is cut from the stock, and the shoe may need to be heated andstretched plastically. The illustrated profile has a base 1 with afullering 2. An outer wall 3 extends upwardly and inwardly from theradially outermost edge of the base and provides some protection for thelower part of the hoof. In addition, this wall 3 provides a largesurface area between the shoe and the hoof so that the shoe can bereadily attached using an adhesive. Furthermore, this large surface areaallows the farrier to remove certain areas of the shoe in order toexpose any damage or infection of the hoof so as to allow it to healmore quickly. An inner wall 4 projects upwardly and radially inwardlyfrom the innermost edge of the base 1 to provide protection for thesofter underside of the hoof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stock from which circumferential lengths can becut to be used as horseshoes, the stock comprising a helical coil ofplastics material wound about an axis such that the cross section of thecoil in a plane lying parallel to and containing the axis is constant inshape for any such plane and substantially corresponds to the crosssection of a horseshoe in a plane transverse to the circumferentiallength of stock forming the horseshoe, the helically coiled stock beingconfigured such that horseshoes cut from it comprise a base portion (1)having a flat surface which can be fastened to the underside of thehoof, and an outer wall (3) extending upwardly and radially inwardlyfrom a radially outermost edge of the base portion.
 2. A stock accordingto claim 1, wherein the plastics material is resilient.
 3. A stockaccording to claim 1, wherein the plastics material is readilyplastically deformable, so that it can be plastically deformed to fitthe shape of a hoof.
 4. A stock according to claim 1, wherein theplastics materials is elastically deformable and the stock is formed soas to be pre-tensioned so that the horseshoe automatically reverts to aplanar state when it is cut out from the stock.
 5. A stock according toclaim 1, wherein the memory of the plastics material is such that, uponheating, the base portion twists into a planar state.
 6. A stockaccording to claim 1, wherein the outer wall (3) is continuous.
 7. Astock according to claim 1, further comprising an inner wall (4)extending radially upwardly and inwardly from the radially innermostedge of the base portion (1).
 8. A method of shoeing a horse, the methodcomprising the steps of cutting the horseshoe of the appropriate lengthfrom a stock according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, introducing acement into the horseshoe, and pressing the shoe onto a hoof, so thatthe pressure of the hoof within the shoe will push the cement into anygaps between the shoe and hoof thereby ensuring a tight fit.
 9. A methodof manufacturing a stock from which circumferential lengths can be cutto be used as horseshoes, the method comprising extruding a plasticsmaterial into a helical coil wound about an axis such that the crosssection of the coil in a plane lying parallel to and containing the axisis constant in shape for any such plane and substantially corresponds tothe cross section of a horseshoe in a plane transverse to thecircumferential length of stock forming the horseshoe.
 10. A methodaccording to claim 9, wherein the plastics material is extruded from anextruding die in which the flow path length within the die of theportion which is to form the radially outermost part of the helix isshorter than the flow path within the die for the portion of the diewhich is to form the radially innermost part of the helix.